The Reason
by Ookami Hitokage
Summary: Amaterasu had that odd, infectious, happy-go-lucky spirit. She always made someone, somewhere smile, whoever they were. Including Issun. And that proved to be a problem. Implied AxI.


**Ookami Hitokage**: A slightly angsty oneshot. A sort of companion piece to _I Miss You_.

**Disclaimer!**

**Ookami Hitokage**: I don't own Okami, or the song _The Reason_is by Hoobastank.

**The Reason**

_I'm not a perfect person,  
There's many things I wish I didn't do._

Issun quickly began to swim toward the edge of Laochi Lake, where most of the Oina tribe were waiting. The poor Poncle, as small as he was, nearly drowned from the small waves that were careening toward him. Cursing the prophet called Waka, he soon reached the bank, pulling himself out and grimacing. "This is almost worse than wolf slobber," he muttered to himself, turning around to look at the Ark of Yamato. "Oh well. I didn't come with Ammy to stay with her; she should have known." It had only been temporary. Yet, for some reason, he felt…well, lonely.

_But I continue learning,  
I never meant to do those things to you._

Amaterasu had that odd, infectious, happy-go-lucky spirit. She always made _someone_, _somewhere_smile, whoever they were. Including Issun. And that proved to be a problem. How he could have pulled out his sword when he saw the hurt look in the wolf's amber eyes – he didn't know. Abruptly, the Poncle dried himself off, and began heading in the general direction of Wep'keer, ignoring the odd looks that Oki, Kai, Tuskle, Lika, and the rest of the Oina tribe were giving him. All he wanted to do was curl up somewhere, sleep, and then practice the brush techniques.

_And so I have to say before I go,  
That I just want you to know._

Quickening his pace and his hop, Issun was soon at Wep'keer's gate, and was then past Kemu's house. As he did so, he felt guilty. He had stolen Ishaku's painting – and now he was stealing Ammy's brush techniques. The part of him that was attached to the goddess – and that was a large part, amazingly – kept telling him to stop. But he kept going, despite himself. It was amazing how a little thing like the lack of Ammy – and a transporter – could get him in the dumps.

_I've found a reason for me,  
To change who I used to be,  
A reason to start over new,  
and the reason is you._

"And curse that damn half-baked prophet, too," the Poncle said aloud, trying to stow his remorse away. "If only he hadn't been there…maybe…" He paused in his thoughts. He was already at the bridge. He frowned. How had he gotten there so quickly? Perhaps it was just the fact that he was so deep in his thoughts – a rare thing, even for Issun. Shrugging, he continued on his way, nearly sinking and drowning in a particularly deep patch of snow. He cursed loudly, shivering. "And damn this cold. I wouldn't even be in this state if Ammy hadn't tried to take me into the Ark."

_I'm sorry that I hurt you,  
It's something I must live with everyday._

"But…I suppose it's just…something that comes along." His aura flickered slightly; a sure sign that he was beginning to tear up. Heck, his voice had even cracked in the middle of the sentence. "Damn furball, makin' me cry…" Issun wanted to tear something up. Like a leaf. Or some sort of Imp, or other creature. Then again, in Kamui, those things were stronger. Maybe he'd be able to find something to try his brush techniques on in Shinshu field; which wasn't a long way off. Resuming his journey, from his short stop near a column of ice, the Poncle hopped along, though a little slower. He'd managed to stop his guilt from flooding his thoughts; at least for a while.

_And all the pain I put you through,  
I wish that I could take it all away,_

_And be the one who catches all your tears._

Suddenly his gaze went toward the sun. It looked like a chunk of it had been bitten away. Frowning, he stopped, peering at it more closely. The sun – it was slowly shrinking. Immediately, he quickened his pace, his thoughts now returning to Amaterasu. _What's goin' on? Why is the sun vanishing?_It wasn't going quickly, no; it didn't look like it was in much of a hurry. But it was still something that worried the Poncle. Ammy was the sun goddess; and the sun was _disappearing_. What that meant, he didn't know.

_That's why I need you to hear…_

Now he was in the cave, and his pace was quickening with every bounce. Quickly he leaped across Shinshu field – and it was at that moment that the whole atmosphere darkened. Alarmed, Issun looked up at the sky. The sun was gone. A loud, wolf-like roar was heard, back at Kamui. Frowning, the Poncle turned around to look back at the odd sculpture behind him, that held the tunnel to the colder regions. Surely that hadn't been Ammy? Not Issun's loveable furball? He whirled around once more and began heading toward Kamiki Village, ignoring the Scrolls in his path.

_I've found a reason for me,  
To change who I used to be,  
A reason to start over new,  
and the reason is you._

_And the reason is you._

_And the reason is you._

_And the reason is you…_

Within minutes he was at the village, near Susano's house. And the whole village was standing, at the other side of the bridge, looking up at the sky with odd looks on their faces. Unnoticed, the tiny Poncle hopped past them, looking around the village. It was dark, almost foreboding, without the light of the sun. _What's wrong with Ammy? Why isn't the sun shining?_Mildly irritated, and mostly worried for the wolf, he sat down and began to think. The sun wasn't shining; and Amaterasu was the sun goddess. So something must have happened to her – on the Ark, no less. She'd gone in there with Waka; what if that half-baked prophet had done something to her? Oh, Issun would give him a piece of his mind if he had.

_I'm not a perfect person,  
I never meant to do those things to you._

And then there was that word – that title; Celestial Envoy. Ishaku had always been saying that _he_ was to be the next Celestial Envoy: that _he_, Issun, would be greater than even Ishaku. That was what he had said. And how had the Poncle repaid him? By stealing his grandfather's painting and claiming it was his? Plagiarism? Issun _hated_plagiarism, and he himself had done it. And then there was the sun goddess, Amaterasu; Issun had traveled with her across Nippon, defeated evil; she'd even been in the Poncles' world, albeit briefly. But Issun had been able to see her in a whole new light.

_And so I have to say before I go,  
That I just want you to know._

She was Amaterasu, loveable, odd, wolfy Ammy. She fed every single animal they came across, which made Issun irritated since they stopped every few moments, but also made him…glad. At least they weren't starving. And she persistently helped every single person she came across, be it by killing something, renewing something, finding something, and the like. Happy-go-lucky Ammy.

_I've found a reason for me,  
To change who I used to be,  
A reason to start over new,  
and the reason is you._

Suddenly, the Poncle whipped out his brush, numerous bits of parchment, and began to paint. A body formed; then fur, then markings. Soon a reflector adorned the wolf's – Amaterasu's – back, with flames, like the sun, streaking out. Carefully, Issun added even more detail to the painting, bringing it to life, making it seem alive. He did the same on several other papers, and then painstakingly picked them all up. Wordlessly, he began hopping among the villagers, handing them papers with Amaterasu painted on them. Then he bounced all the way back to Kamui, handing _them_the drawings; then to the Dragonian Palace – with Orca's help, of course – and to Sei-An city. Everywhere. Soon paintings of the sun goddess adorned almost every place imaginable.

_I've found a reason to show,  
A side of me you didn't know._

It was only much later, when he was back at Kamiki, that Issun began to speak.

_A reason for all that I do,  
And the reason is you._


End file.
